US9582372B1ActiveUtility

Non-stream-based backup restart

Assignee: EMC CORPPriority: Mar 18, 2014Filed: Apr 16, 2014Granted: Feb 28, 2017

Est. expiryMar 18, 2034(~7.7 yrs left)· nominal 20-yr term from priority

Inventors:Mu Chai

G06F 2201/84G06F 11/1451G06F 11/0727G06F 11/1446G06F 11/1438G06F 11/1458G06F 2201/805G06F 11/1088

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Claims

Abstract

In one example of a backup method, a backup process is started but experiences a failure prior to completion of the backup such that only a first portion of the set of data is backed up prior to the failure. A failed saveset associated with a second portion of the set of data is discarded, and a retry started. The retry includes performing an incremental backup of the first portion of the set of data and performing either a full or incremental backup of the second portion of the data. Upon successful completion of the retry, the incremental backup of the first portion of the set of data is combined with the backup of the second portion of the set of data to create a restore saveset. The restore saveset is used to create a full backup image that includes a full backup of the set of data.

Claims

exact text as granted — not AI-modified

What is claimed is:

1. A method for backing up data, comprising:
starting a backup of a set of data;
experiencing a failure of the backup prior to completion of the backup such that only a first portion of the set of data is backed up prior to the failure;
discarding a failed saveset associated with a second portion of the set of data;
starting a retry of the backup, wherein the retry comprises:
performing an incremental backup of the first portion of the set of data; and
performing a full backup of the second portion of the set of data when the second portion of the set of data has not previously been backed up successfully or, when the second portion of the set of data has previously been backed up successfully, performing an incremental backup of the second portion of the set of data with respect to the last successful backup of the second portion of the set of data;

combining, upon a successful completion of the retry, the incremental backup of the first portion of the set of data with the either the full backup of the second portion of the set of data or the incremental backup of the second portion of the set of data to create a restore saveset; and
using the restore saveset to create a full backup image that includes a full backup of the set of data.

2. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the backup of the first and second portions of the set of data is performed without the use of a time checkpoint or a path checkpoint.

3. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the backup of the first and second portions of the set of data is performed without the use of a partial saveset.

4. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the first and second portions of the set of data comprise first and second volumes, respectively.

5. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the failed saveset comprises a partial saveset of the second portion of the set of data.

6. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein the failure is a transient failure.

7. The method as recited in claim 1 , wherein performing an incremental backup comprises backing up only data of the first portion of the set of data that has been changed or added subsequent to the failure.

8. A physical storage device having stored therein computer-executable instructions which, when executed by one or more hardware processors of a computing system, perform data backup, wherein performance of the data backup comprises:
starting a backup of a set of data;
experiencing a failure of the backup prior to completion of the backup such that only a first portion of the set of data is backed up prior to the failure;
discarding a failed saveset associated with a second portion of the set of data;
starting a retry of the backup, wherein the retry comprises:
performing an incremental backup of the first portion of the set of data; and
performing a full backup of the second portion of the set of data when the second portion of the set of data has not previously been backed up successfully or, when the second portion of the set of data has previously been backed up successfully, performing an incremental backup of the second portion of the set of data with respect to the last successful backup of the second portion of the set of data;

9. The physical storage device as recited in claim 8 , wherein the backup of the first and second portions of the set of data is performed without the use of a time checkpoint or a path checkpoint.

10. The physical storage device as recited in claim 8 , wherein the backup of the first and second portions of the set of data is performed without the use of a partial saveset.

11. The physical storage device as recited in claim 8 , wherein the first and second portions of the set of data comprise first and second volumes, respectively.

12. The physical storage device as recited in claim 8 , wherein the failed saveset comprises a partial saveset of the second portion of the set of data.

13. The physical storage device as recited in claim 8 , wherein the failure is a transient failure.

14. The physical storage device as recited in claim 8 , wherein performing an incremental backup comprises backing up only data of the first portion of the set of data that has been changed or added subsequent to the failure.

15. A computing device, comprising:
a backup client operable to communicate with a backup server remote from the backup client;
one or more hardware processors;
data storage holding a set of data; and
computer-executable instructions which, when executed by one or more of the hardware processors, perform a backup of the set of data, wherein performance of the backup comprises:
starting a backup of the set of data;
experiencing a failure of the backup prior to completion of the backup such that only a first portion of the set of data is backed up prior to the failure;
discarding a failed saveset associated with a second portion of the set of data;
starting a retry of the backup, wherein the retry comprises:
performing an incremental backup of the first portion of the set of data; and
performing a full backup of the second portion of the set of data when the second portion of the set of data has not previously been backed up successfully or, when the second portion of the set of data has previously been backed up successfully, performing an incremental backup of the second portion of the set of data with respect to the last successful backup of the second portion of the set of data;
combining, upon a successful completion of the retry, the incremental backup of the first portion of the set of data with the either the full backup of the second portion of the set of data or the incremental backup of the second portion of the set of data to create a restore saveset; and

using the restore saveset to create a full backup image that includes a full backup of the set of data.

16. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the backup of the first and second portions of the set of data is performed without the use of a time checkpoint or a path checkpoint.

17. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the backup of the first and second portions of the set of data is performed without the use of a partial saveset.

18. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the first and second portions of the set of data comprise first and second volumes, respectively.

19. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the failed saveset comprises a partial saveset of the second portion of the set of data.

20. The computing device of claim 15 , wherein the failure is a transient failure.

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